"I was always the fastest kid on the block when I was young," remembered Taylor. "But a lot of kids grew up faster than I did. I was still short and skinny coming into high school."

Track and field was his most successful sport, but Taylor also played basketball and football while attending Southwest DeKalb High School in the mid-1990s.

"I went through a period where I wasn't running too hot; I was just another person on the team," he said. "I just stuck to running hard and lifting weights, doing whatever it took to get better. It wasn't until I was in the 10th grade, running junior varsity track, that I started winning regularly. I really started sprouting up and running fast."

In his junior year, Taylor claimed three state titles in track, then a year later he went on to earn another five titles. That same year, he was profiled in Sports Illustrated's May issue as the Old Spice Athlete of the Month, later he was named Old Spice Athlete of the Year for 1996.

"I came to a decision in my senior year whether I was going to play football or run track. I decided to run track because I was more successful in track as a sport," recalled Taylor.

Maturing On The Track

Starting with his earliest high school achievements, college recruiters began to follow Taylor's career, including Grover Hinsdale, the track and field coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

"The first time that I can remember seeing Angelo was at the state championship his sophomore year. I was intrigued, to say the least. I just had a very strong feeling that he had an opportunity to be very special in the sport, and he was very talented," remembered Hinsdale.

"( Hinsdale) saw the potential in me. We sat down and talked about what kind of goals I did have and what he thought I could do," said Taylor, who respected Hinsdale and Georgia Tech track and field program because it had produced two athletes who won gold medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, specifically Derrick Adkins in the 400m hurdles.

"The hurdles were always my best event. When I went to college, I decided that is what I wanted to run. Because of the coach and the athletes that he produced, it was a big part for me in going to Georgia Tech," expressed Taylor.

In 1997 season as a freshman, he place 2nd in the NCAA Outdoors Championship, 3rd in the NCAA Indoor Championship and 5th at the U.S. Outdoors Championship. By the end of the track and field season, Taylor was ranked 9th in the USA in the 400m hurdles.

During his sophomore year, he won at the U.S. Outdoors, NCAA Outdoors and ACC Indoor; placed 2nd at Goodwill Games; and finished 3rd at the NCAA Indoor. He was ranked 3rd in the world and 2nd in the USA as a 400m hurdler.

Taylor was named the Collegiate Men's Athlete of the Year in 1998 by Track and Field News, for going undefeated in the 400m hurdles.

"I was surprised to see that I got the award, but when I think back about it, I had a great year. I was undefeated in the hurdles, and I always ran a good leg on the relay," said Taylor.

Running In The European Arenas

Following his success in the 1998 collegiate season, Taylor decided to leave Georgia Tech to compete in the Grand Prix circuit in Europe for the 1999 season. Keeping Hinsdale as his personal coach, Taylor continued to train and live in Atlanta while traveling to Europe for international competitions.

"It was a big jump, but I think I handled it pretty well. It was totally different," said Taylor. "When I was running on the collegiate level, I didn't have to run hard to beat people. Then I had to run hard every race. I had to adjust, but I think I made a good adjustment."

During that season, he won the USA Outdoors and the USA Indoors; placed 3rd in the World Championships; and was a member of the first place USA's 4x400 relay team. His ranking increased to 2nd in the world and 1st in the USA.

In the year 2000, Taylor won the 400m hurdles at the U.S.A. Olympic Trials with the fastest time in the world for the year (47.62 seconds). Also, he finished the 2000 Grand Prix season as the first in ranking based on points earned on the circuit.

Integrating Chiropractic Into Training

During the 1999 season, Taylor began to experience some physical problems that were not responding to medical protocols.

"I wasn't feeling too good, my body was sore. I had problems with my groin," explained Taylor. "At Georgia Tech, my coach suggested (chiropractic) and I knew a lot of athletes were going to chiropractors. Since I was told that chiropractic works, I went to go see a chiropractor."

"In January of 1999, I was adjusting Darryl LaBarrie, a senior basketball player from Georgia Tech at Life University's Luckie Street clinic. He brought in a friend, Angelo Taylor," recalled Dr. Bob Rabin. "Angelo came into the main clinic on February 1, 1999, to get X-rays and was adjusted.

"Dr. John Downes and I started adjusting him as often as we could. We adjusted him right before the US Indoors Championship meet in late February 1999. He went out of his way to come to the chiropractic office under the Georgia Dome, past the massage and medical facilities. He won the 400m flat race at that meet," remembered Dr. Rabin.

"When I started going to a chiropractor religiously, I just felt a whole lot better," Taylor admitted.

Within the last year, Coach Hinsdale referred Taylor to Dr. Hank Glass in midtown Atlanta, who also sees many other Georgia Tech athletes.

"I see at any given time, 20 to 30 of their athletes, mostly track and field, but it has spilled over a little bit. I was referred one of their quarterbacks this year. In each case, I think the reason we have good results is that I have a background of about 35 or 40 years of track and field myself," explained Dr. Glass.

As a competitive distance runner, Glass has run in five Boston Marathons and is a 12-year member of the Atlanta track Club Masters team. His son, Josh, who is working on his chiropractic degree at Life University, was a distance runner for the University of Georgia.

"Each of the athletes have specifics that we understand because of the biomechanical demands in each event. In Angelo's case, he is a hurdler so the biomechanical demands of his event are different than just running," described Glass. "When Angelo comes in, we look at everything from head to toe, from his feet all the way up to his cervicals. We make sure his genetic motion is correct."

When Taylor first started coming to Glass, he was suffering from a strain.

"His right hip flexor was strained and that caused the right side of his pelvis to rotate. That distorted his foot plant, so he developed ankle problems," depicted Glass. "I was adjusting all that, working very closely with a massage therapist, so that we could stabilize his muscles along with his skeleton.

"When he was in Europe this year, he had a problem and he flew back from there to be seen by me, then flew back to compete in another Grand Prix meet. I was seeing him when he was competing, so I would see him every week."

"I just think that by getting chiropractic regularly, I am ready to run every time I step on the track," declared Taylor. "I don't have problems. Nothing is hurting. I am at my best, a full 100 percent ready to run."

The Olympics – Going For The Gold

Taylor, a member of the USA Olympic team, was able to walk during the opening ceremony in Sydney, Australia, on September 15.

"It was great. It really didn't hit me that I was in the Olympics until the opening ceremony, walking through the tunnel and marching in with the big crowd. It was a very exciting time for me," he revealed.

On September 25, Taylor did well in the first qualifying heat, advancing to the semifinal race, where he finished second. Winners of the second heat received the best lane positions for the finals, but since Taylor finished second, he was subjected to a random draw for the remaining lane positions. Unfortunately, he received a lane one assignment, which requires the tightest turns in the race.

"It was hard for me to go to sleep before my final. It was the biggest race of my life. I was just trying to stay focused, and to concentrate on what I had to do," recalled Taylor. "I felt well-rested and was telling myself to stay smooth, run relaxed and attack the last three hurdles."

During his final race, Taylor stayed focused through the hurdles and surged as he came off the final hurdle to a photo finish.

"My speed comes into play. I gave it all I had until the finish. After the race, I kneeled and was thanking God for letting me finish the race when I heard my name called out as the winner. A big sigh of relief came over me. I'd won gold out of lane one," asserted Taylor.

He won an Olympic gold medal by .03 seconds (47.50 seconds), the fastest time for the 400m hurdles in the world for the 2000 season.

After hearing his name, Taylor ran a victory lap around the stadium wrapped in an American flag, encouraged by his mother, sister and girlfriend in the crowd.

"It was quite a feeling standing on the medal stand and realizing that I was an Olympic medalist. The best part was hearing the national anthem," he declared.

Taylor affirmed, "I believe I set a goal. I hit that goal. I am very happy."

A few days later, Taylor ran a leg in the first two heats of the 4x400 relays on the USA team, but not the final race. As a member of the team, he received a second gold medal.